1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an easy to assemble, mix-or-match, three component necktie that once assembled and adjusted for a person's neck size, can be quickly and easily put-on and taken-off for day-to-day wear while giving the appearance of a conventionally knotted necktie.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Neckties are woven, decorative fabric products that are tied around a wearer's neck. Typically, tieing the knot and obtaining the proper length for the display portion or streamer of the necktie can be an inconvenient and toilsome task.
Since the introduction of the one piece, tie-it yourself necktie, neckties with a "pre-tied" knot have been popular in the apparel market. Neckties whose knot apparatus is separate from the tie streamer have been used to create different design patterns by applying a fabric or pattern that is different than that of the tie streamer.
The prior art which may be relevant to this invention is described hereinafter.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,368,544 to Smith discloses a convertible necktie that includes a streamer that plugs into a triangular knot body which is then fastened around the wearer's neck with a releasable fastener strap attached to this knot body. The streamer has a cylindrical plug at one end which is inserted into the knot body and held in place by a retainer bushing. Both the knot body and the streamer can be covered with the same or with different fabric. Knobs protruding from the knot body fit into corresponding holes in the fastener strap so as to fasten the tie around the wearer's neck. One end of this strap is provided with a series of holes so as to provide some means of adjusting the necktie to fit a particular neck size.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,875,239 to Patterson, Jr. discloses support and fastening means for producing a pre-tied necktie. This necktie uses a triangular, knot-shaped plastic insert with a central post and two end posts for attaching a streamer and a neckband. A one piece neckband has holes located in its mid section and spaced to mate with the posts on the plastic insert. This neckband is first mounted onto these holes and then the streamer is mounted over it. The streamer has two holes located such that one hole can be mounted on the central post of the plastic insert, the streamer can then be wrapped around this insert so as to completely cover it from view and then the second hole slips over the central post and a fastener is attached to hold the entire assembly together. The assembled necktie is fastened around a wearer's neck and retained in place by mating the neckband ends using hook and loop fasteners mounted thereon.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,972,523 to Begg discloses a necktie retainer for attaching the display portion or streamer and the tail end of a conventional necktie to a button on the wearer's shirt. This retainer comprises an elliptically-shaped retaining band that attaches to a button on the wearer's shirt. The wearer then slides the tail end of the necktie through a slot in this retaining band so as to hold the tail end of the necktie adjacent to the wearer's shirt. A hook and loop fastener is either glued or fastened to the back of the streamer and a mating fastener is incorporated into the front surface of the retainer. When these fasteners mate, the streamer is held against the retainer and thus against the wearer's shirt.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,088,120 to Yen discloses a necktie assembly wherein a necktie is looped through an elongated, slotted adjusting plate until the appropriate streamer length is displayed. Then the ends of a neck rope are run through a box like retainer which is placed inside a knot shaped sheath. This retainer is held in the sheath by running the ends of the neck rope through slots in this sheath. The streamer and tail ends of the necktie are then placed in this sheath which is slid up the necktie until this sheath is stopped by the adjusting plate. The sheath covers and is held in place by the adjusting plate.
The present invention overcomes many of the drawbacks and deficiencies of prior pre-tied neckties and provides a unique, easy to assemble and adjust knotless necktie that looks like a conventional knotted necktie.